Disk harrow



2 Sheets-Sheet l l, ..."l M

, M. MW @j F. E. HAND DISK HARROW May 22,1928.

Original Filed July 5, 1924 May 22, 1928.

F. E. HAND DISK HARROW Original Filed July 5, 1924 2 -Sheets-Sweet 2 Patented May 22, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENTA OFFICE.A`

FREDERICK E. HAND, or sYRAcUsE, NEW YORK, AssiGNon `To DEERE a 4coiuiiiiir, i

OF MOLINEILLINOIS, A CORPORATION F ILLINOIS.

i DISK HARROW,

Application filed July 5,1924, Serial No. 724,506. Renewed October 29, 1,927.`

My invention relates to tandem disk harorows, or disk hai-rows comprising front `and rear sections each composed of ka pair of disk gangs so -mounted that they may be turned into a position: of alinementfor transport purposes, which `is their inoperative position, or may be turned intoV angular relation to each other, which is their operative position.

In harrows of the tandem type the rear section is drawn through the front. section,

with which the draft power, either a team or a tractor, is connected, and it has been largely the custom to connect the rear sec tion flexibly with the front section so as to permit the front and rear units or sections `to swing laterally relatively to each other for convenience in driving around trees 'or other obstacles, or in turning corners, as well as to permit vertical movement of either or both of the rear gangs relatively to the gan Ys of the front section, but a serious objection to flexibly connected tandem disk harrows as heretofore constructed is that they have not been equipped with adequate means for so controlling the position of the rear harrow section that each of the disks of the rear gangs will always work in the ridge left between the furrows turned by the pair of front disks behind which it is set, or, in other words, will not run into or across one of such furrows and thereby leave some portion of the ridge between them unturned. This relation of the disks `of therear gangs to those ofthe front gangs may appropriately be termed ,registration, and the maintenance of registration in a` disk harrow of the tandem flexibly connected type on straight-away work, and also when turns are made, so that the ridges left between the front disks will be properly cut at all times, and, in making turns, the rear gangs cannot by swinging in on the kturn damage trees or strike obstacles that havev 5 been avoided by the front gangs, is a result which those skilled in the'art have for many years sought to accomplish, but which prior to my present invention has never been realized in a practical way. Various ex- ,0 pedients have been proposed for flexibly vconnecting together the front and rear narrow sections in such manner as to permit the disks of the rear section normally to maintain a position of registration on curves,

,5` such, for example, as the use of a pair of crossed links connected at their forward ends with the front section and at their rear ends with the rear section, in the same'manner as such links are used in the running gear of vehicles to causethe rear wheels of the vehicle in rounding a curve to describe arcs concentric with those described by the front wheels, as will be more explicitly hereinafter pointed out, but all prior constructions ating conditions encountered in the operation of disk harrows. flexibly connected tandem` disk harrows the front section is steered, and held against any considerable oscillation about a vertical axis,

by the draft power, but the rear section,`

being pivotally connected to the frontsec- In the operation of tion, in the absence of adequate controlling means is free to oscillate or swing laterally about a vertical axis independently of the front section when the disks ofthe opposite rear gangs encounter unequal resistance, which swinging shifts the disks from their normal registering position with lrelation to the disks of the front gangs. The condition of an unopposed tendency of the rear harrow section to so swing laterally, which may be termed nervousness, is highly objectionable, as in order to properly perform their work the disks ofthe rear section should be held steady and maintain their registering position, and this is particularly desirable in turning, and also in side hill work, where a nervous harrow has a strong tendency to sideslip or drift, and so get out of registration. Many constructions have heretofore been proposed to cure` .v

this nervousness and obtain stability, but

while some of such attempts have been measurably successful so far asv relieving nervousness on straight-away work is concerned, it has been doneat the expense of flexibility, and of maintaining registration on curves, or on turns to avoid obstacles.

In my application for patent for improvements` in disk harrows, liled of even date herewith, I have shown and described a flexible tandem disk harrow of suchconstruction i that the draft force operates as apositive coming nervousness by opposing oscillation or lateral swinging of the rear harrow section independently ot the front section,I and b y direct-ly aiding in the retoration oly the rear section to its normal operative position, when a straightaiway course is resumed after a turning movement, and in said application that invention is claimed generically. This application has to do with the saine general subjectmatter of invention, and it has tor its object to provide a construction by which the saine i'el-ults can be obtained by somewhat diliferent instrumcntalities which possess certain advantages which will be hereinafter pointed out. W hat l regard as new isset iforth in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, h

Fig. 1 isla plan view ol the principal parts ol a tandem disk harrow, `ioine parts being broken away, and the iront and rear sections being shown in their normal operative position, i. e., the position they occupy `for straight-away work; l

Fig. :2 is a similar View showing the parts when the liarrow is being turned to the right;` and Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection on line 3--3 of Fig. 1looking to the rear.

1t will be understood that, aside from my improvements, the liarrow shown in the drawings is merely illustrative of a class otvharrows commercially well known, and I wish it to be understood that the improvements hereinafter described may he applied to any other tandem disk barrow to whichA they are adapted.

Referring to the drawings, the barrow therein illustrated cou'ipiises the u'iual liront and rear units, each made up ol a suitable frame, to which` are attached pairs ol disk gangs arranged to be swung about vertical axes so that the gangs oli each pair may either be alined or be turned into angular relation to each other. 1n the illustrations 4 indicates a transverse beam which formsA a part of the frame ol' the iront. harrow unit, and 5, 6 the l'i'ont disk gaiigs, which are-piuoted at 7, 8, respectively, to the end portions of the beam 4 so that they ma)` be angled in thc usual4 way. lhe dral't power, which may he either that of a tractor oi of' ateam, is applied to the front lrame and is transmitted to the rear unit in the manner hereinafter described.

The rear unit also comprises a transver-c beam 9, similar to the beam Ll, and disk gangs 10,11pivotally connected to the end portions of said beam at 12, 13. The trame of the rear unit also comprises a draft mein bei' composed ol forwardly converging side members Ll, 15, and a transverse member 1G by `which caid side 'members are connected together, these parts forming an approximately Ushaped frame through which the draft is applied to the rear unit in thel manner hereinafter explained. The member 16 is connected with the beam t) by bars 1i, 1S that extend tore and a'l't and not only strengthen and stitien the draft frame comm piising the members ll, lii and lo, but also serve as a support l'or a "lifting plate lt) adjustable `tore and alft to rari1 thc angular relation to cach other olf the rear gangs. This plate is adjustable bj, means oil a shaft E20 having a scre\\'-thre:uled connection thercwith in the manner set i'orth in my application above mentioned. TheA ends olf the gangs l0, li are connected with said plate by links 21,9, rwhich prci'erablj,t extend over stirrup:` 23, best shown in lf'ig. 1i. The gangs of the 'lroiit unit are angled by means of links 25, Elo connected with the inner end portions ol' said gangs and adjustable l'oi'e and a'l't in an)v suitable way, as by the means disclosed in said application.

Extending rearwardly i'roin the beam -l at opposite sides ol' the median line olf the harrow are dral't bar: 27, QS, the 'forward ends ot which are connected to stirrups 21), 30, respectively, by horizontal pirots $51, 32, so that the rear ends ol' sai ldi'ai"t bars may swing vertically. 'lliese connections are preferably loose enough so that the rear unit ma)v swing to a slight extent about a longi tudinal axis to enable the gang: ol` the rear unit to accommodate themselves to inequalities in the lground. the draft bars QT, 28 are cross-connccted by a cross-bar 33, so that they are held in pai'- allelism with cach other, and constitute a front draft frame.

The front and rear units are flexibly con nected together so that their transverse axes may be angled relativrl)v to each other by means o l a pair of crossed links 311-, 35, the rear ends` olc which are pivotally connected with the'iiont draft frame, preferably by means of pivots 3G, 37 extending through said links and through the end portioiisiof the cross-bar $515. The forward ends oil said links are .siniilarljyv connected by pivots 38, 39, respectively, with the member lf3 at op* positie sides oll the median line ol the rear unit and at points equialistaiit therefrom. l\lai1itf a-:tl y, draft power applied to the front unit will be transmitted by the crossbar 33 to the rear ends of the links 3l, 3.5, and through said links and the member 16 will be transmitted to the traine oi. the rear unit,

so that the rear unit will be propelled by a pushing rather than by a pulling operation. The links ttl. 55 are so arranged that when the barrow units are in their normal position, as for straight-away work, the crossing point of said links lies in the median line of the barrow, and preferably midway' between the transverse axes oi? said units, by which arrangement the units are flexibly connected together in such manner that when they aie swung to an angular poill) Near their rear ends t loo lil."

iio

imams s'ition relatively toI each other, as iii/"turning the harrow in one direction-or the other from a straight-ahead position, theywill swing through concentric arcs,"fand "the crossing point o f` said links,`which represents the point of application of ythe draft to the rear unit, will be shifted inversely laterally or, in a direction opposite that in which the turn is being made,-and the same istrue if the front'unit be held in its normal position while the rearunit is swung .laterally owing to unequal resistance en `of load, and consequently the draft operates effectively to restore the rear unit to its normal or straight-away position. This will be `made clear by reference to Fig. 2, which illustrates the position of the harrow units when a turn to the leftis being made, as WellV asthe relative position of said units should the front unit beheld in its'lnormal position while the rear unit is swung relatively thereto owing to reater resistance encountered by the rightiand'rear gang. As soon as the harrow units return to `their normal position, the crossing point of said links is again brought into coincidence with the medianline of the "liarrow and the line ofdraft coincides with the center of load. Anydeviation of the front and rear units from their normal position therefore brings I the force of the. draft into play toward re-` storing said units to their Anormal position, and accordingly the draft force yis always effective as al stabilizing factor and resists any tendency ofthe rear unit to swing laterally, orto side slip or vdrift'on side hill work. yIn this connection it-should` also be noted that, when the front unit is turned `from a straight-away position the action of the links 34, 35` causes the rear unit to be moved up closer to the front unit. This relative forward movement of the rear unit of course requires the expenditure of draft force, owing to the resistance of the rear gangs, which gives them a tendency to lag, and `consequently whenever the harrow is turned laterally in either direction, or the rear unit is angledrelatively to thefront unit, the resistance of the rear unit tends to restore both ynnitsto their straight-away position, and incidentally to swing the links 34, 35 so as to bring their crossing point into coincidence with the median line of `the harrow, at which time the frontand rear-unitsare ".aithestapart.4 It will thus be seen/that the force of the draft, together with lthe ground resistance of the Vrear unit,

cooperatel to restorethe harrow units to their normal position whenever there. is any" dey viation from such position.y The harrovvfisl therefore essentially stable, or not nervousf"` `In this iespecttlie crossed links abovede'- scribed `function entirely differently from `the way in which they-.would function if the draft were connected with the forward` instead of with the rearendsof said links,`

and produce radically different resultsso far as' maintaining stability and registration is concerned.` It has heretofore been proposed to use crossed links having their forward ends connected to draft devices,and their rear'ends to a trailing member, for the purpose of promoting registration by 'permitf ting the trailing member normally, or in the absence of adverse infiuences, to follow the trailing member is exceedingly nervous and easily gets out of registration because the crossed :links do not operate to shift the point of application of the draft to the rear member in the properdirecton to maintain the stability of the trailing member or members, or, in other words, 'to cure nervous,-

ness,-on the contrary their operation is` quite the opposite, since in those construe` tions the point of application of the draft r to the trailing element shifts in the same direction as that in which such element swings or the front element is turned, i. e., toward the inside of the curve, `and consequently the draft force applied tothe trailing element tends to move it further away from, and to resist its return to, its

It will be seen. therefore, that the in the same curve as the member that it l trails, but in all of such prior constructions through the crossed links is a vital one, and' f produces opposite results as regards maintaining registration and overcoming nern vousness. p t

In my improved construction the crossed links 34, 35 having their rear ends connect- "ed with the draft'and their front ends connected with the rear unit, asabove' described, constitute means equivalent to the curved members shown and described in my aforet said application for maintaining registration and overcoming nervousness, but they perm form the added function of holding the units together when the hai-row is backed, and avoid the necessity of making sepai'ateprovision `for doing that Work.

The links 34, 35 should, ofcourse, be so i mounted that their crossing point is coinciuit,

. always equidistant from such transverse axes, so that on turns said units tend toswing through concentric ares, my invention is not restricted to that arrangement, as considera able deviation therefrom may be made with.

out permitting the units to move transversely relatively to eachother on turns to such an extent that the discs ofthe rear gangs do not work in the proper ridges.`

So far as I am aware, I am the irst in the art to use crossed links connected as described to shift the point of applicationof the draft` to the rear unit of a disk harrowy laterally away from the median line of sach unit in the same direction as that in which the center of load shifts incident to relative angling of the units, and to an extent that may be said to be commensurate with or proportional yto the angularity of the units.

The use of crossedy links for this purpose therefore claimed generically herein, whether they be also arranged so as to permit the transverse axes of the units to swing through substantially concentricarcsor not, although. the arrangement of the links so that they cross eachother midway between sncl'i.t1'ansverse axes is desirable, as in thatl way the best resultsare obtained. i

lVhat- I claim as my invention` and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isM

lf. A tandem diskharrow comprising front and rear disk-carrying units, and draft connections flexibly connecting saidk units together to permit them to be angled relatively to each other, said draft connections being arranged to transmit the draft. from the front imit to the rear unit' and comprising means pivotally connected with the front and rear units and arranged to` beactuatcd by relative angling thereof to shift the line of draftA to the rearunit inversely laterally.

Q. A tandem disk harrow comprising front and rear disk-carrying units, and draft con nections` flexibly connecting said units together to permit them to be angled relatively to each other,r said draft connections being arranged to transmit the draft from the front unit to they rear uniti and comprising means pivotally connected with the front and rear units and arranged to be actuated by relative angling thereof to shift the line of draft to the rear unit inversely laterally pro portionately to the angularity of said units.

Il. A tandem disk hai-row comprising front and rear disk-carrying units` and draft connections flexibly connecting said units together to permit them to be angled relatively to each other, said draft connections being arranged to transmit the draft from the front unit to the rear` unit and comprising crossed bars pivotally connected with the front and: rear nnits and arranged to beactuated by" relative angling thereof to shift 4. Apv tandem disk harrow comprising front and rear disk-carrymg units, and draft vconnections flexibly connecting saidy units together to permit them to he, angledI rela tively to each other, said draft connections being arranged to transmit the draft from the l'ront unit to the rear unit and comprising crossed bars pivotally connected with the front and` rear .units and arranged to he actuated by relative angling thereof to shift the. point. of application of the draft to the rear unit inversely laterally proportionately to the angularity of said units.

5. A tandem disk harrow comprising front and rear diskfcarrying units, and draft connections flexibly connecting said units toV gether to permit them-to he angled relatively to each other, said draft connections being, arranged to transmit thedraft from the front unit to the rear unit and comprising crossed links having their rear vends connected with the front unit and their front ends with the rear unit and arranged to he actuated by relative angling of saidnnits to shift the point of application of the draft to the rear unit laterally..

G. A tandem disk barrowV con'iprisingV front and rear disk-carrying units, and draft connections flexibly connecting said` units together, said draft connections heilig arrangedlo transmit the draft from the front unit to the rear unit and comprising crossed links having their rear ends connected with the front .unit and their front ends connected with the rear unit,I the crossing point of said links being normally coincident with the median line of the harrow.Y

7. A tandem. disk hal-row comprising front andrear diskfcarrying units, and draft connections flexibly connecting said units together, said .draft connections being arranged to transmit the draft from the front nnit to the rear unit and comprising crossed links havingr theirrear ends connected with the front unit and their front ends connected with the rear unit, the crossing point of said linksbeing normally coincident with themedian line of the harrow and. approximately equi-distant from the transverse axes of said units. y

8. A. tandem' diskV harrow comprising front and; rear disk-carrying units flexibly connectedtogetheigand means for transmitting draft power 4to said rear unit comprising crossed links having-their rear'endsconnected' with the draft meansand' their front ends pivotally. connected with the rear nnit',

the crossing point of said links being ar-` ranged to be coincident with the medianline of the harrow when said umts are 1n their normal position.

9. A tandem disk harrow comprising connected together, and crossed links arfront and rear disk carrying units ilexibly ranged to pushingly transmit draft power connected together, and crossed links arto the rear unit, the Crossing point of said 1 ranged to pushingly transmit draft power links being substantially coincident with the i to the rear unit. median line of the barrow when said units 10. A tandem disk harrow comprising are in their normal position.

front and rear disk-carrying units flexibly FREDERICK E. HAND. 

